Analysis of the electrodynamics of subcable current distribution in the superconducting POLO coil cable

Abstract

Unexpected ramp rate limitations (RRL) found in superconducting magnets during the development of magnet systems can be attributed to a current imbalance amongst the cabled strands which leads to a lower than expected quench current. In superconducting magnets the current distribution in the cable during ramping depends mainly on the electromagnetic properties of the system. A detailed analysis of principle causes for RRL phenomena was performed with a model for one half of the POLO coil considering the complete inductance matrix of the cable and the fact that all turns are mutually coupled. The main results of these calculations are that unequal contact resistances can not be responsible for RRL phenomena in coils with parameters comparable to those of the POLO coil and that already minor geometrical disturbances in the cable structure can lead to major and lasting imbalances in the current distribution of cables with insulated and non-insulated strands. During the POLO experiment the half-coil model was employed to get a better understanding of the measured compensated subcable voltages during quench. The good agreement of the calculated and measured results demonstrates the validity of the model for RRL analyses. (orig.)27 refs.Available from TIB Hannover: ZA 5141(5653) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman